Potential tablet setup

[andy_mac]

Anyone considered a logistical nightmare setup using a defi smart adaptor, double dinn HU, tablet and phone for data?

Realistically i don't think there are enough connections to make this work as i'd really like.

Defi smart adaptor needs a wifi connection so i believe that takes up the tablets wifi connection. Mainly interested in this option for its ability to collate obd data along with data from defi sensors.

Internet and data between phone and tablet would have to use bluetooth, not sure how that works between android and ios at this point for call transferring.

Only remaining connection would then be usb between HU and tablet. Only problem would be the HU has a max current draw of 1A which may not be enough depending on the tablet.

Still got alot of researching to put in, need to confirm what connections are actually capable of but can't see any cleaner way of setting it all up.

[McDoof]

I've been looking into getting a Galaxy Tab3 3G version as my tablet. It's a 7" Phablet so you can make calls directly from it. Use things like spotify/google maps etc without having to tether it. Stick it on a shared data plan from 2Degrees or something like that.
Use tasker to divert calls to the tablet when in the car (unlimited minutes so it won't cost me)
Connect the tablet to the stock head unit via bluetooth anycarlink which I currently use to connect my phone through.
That leaves you the wifi connection to do with that you like.
I guess you could do your audio via an OTG connected DAC but at this point I was thinking of hooking into my tactrix cable via OTG and using BTSSM for real time gauges etc.

[andy_mac]

Shared data plans definately would be the way to go. Don't think call forwarding between ios and android would be as clear cut though. Haven't found a way of setting that up without manually setting up the call forward each time you get into the car.

[McDoof]

Shared data plans definately would be the way to go. Don't think call forwarding between ios and android would be as clear cut though. Haven't found a way of setting that up without manually setting up the call forward each time you get into the car.

Yea, that's where Tasker on Android comes in handy. You can auto mate pretty much anything. Maybe it's time to get a new phone

[HyRax]

iOS implements its own proprietary version of Bluetooth. As a result, it's incompatible with 99% of everything out there. Even basic A2DP and headset functionality through an actual headset or headunit is hit and miss.

Bluetooth tethering for Internet from anything to iOS does work, but is sketchy at times. You will have significantly more success tethering your tablet with a mossy rock. Where possible, I would leave iOS out altogether unless you plan to make everything Apple.

Bluetooth in general can setup multiple channels. You can use Internet, make phone calls and listen to music all simultaneously, however there is only a single channel for each of those functions - for example, you can't setup A2DP to stream to more than one device. You can't use more than one headset/headunit for phone calls, only one device can be tethered for Internet over Bluetooth, etc. Oddly though, you can peer to peer multiple devices for basic data transfer allowing games like Spaceteam to operate...

Depending on how the Defi gear operates, if it requires an ad-hoc connection, then you're limited, but if it can join an existing wifi network, then you can get either your tablet or your phone to enable its hotspot and you should then be able to talk to other devices on that same hotspot like any ordinary wifi network (note that hotspots are typically limited to five devices).

Where possible, find out if your devices can use USB, then get a simple OTG adapter, connect it to a powered USB hub and connect everything that way.

As for power, get one of these and hook it into your car's cigarette fuse using one of these and a 5A blade fuse. They work great and will provide enough power for just about everything up to 5A shared across all four ports (the car provides up to 10A on the cigarette lighter from memory, but the fuse will limit you to 5A only, preventing any damage should something short). Just make sure you multimeter the ports on the eBay stepdown PSU first to ensure they are outputting 5v and not anything lower or higher.

My current setup has an Android tablet doing A2DP to the car's headunit. All its audio goes there, but the headset channel on the headunit is paired with my phone with the A2DP channel disabled on the phone (so phone media audio still comes through the phone's speaker). I can play music, get navigation etc from the tablet through the car's headunit, but when a call comes in, the music is automatically paused and the phone takes over the headunit for the call. When the call finishes, the music automatically resumes from the tablet.

If you want your tablet to control the phone to instruct it to make and receive calls etc, you can do so using a piece of Android software called Tablet Talk, available in the Play store. It's not perfect as far as automatically re-attaching to your phone when you get in the car, but it works pretty well when connected.

[andy_mac]

Sorry, the defi kit uses bluetooth not its own wifi network. Don't know where i read that. could have sworn thats how it worked but its been a while since i checked out their site.

Completely changes the way it'd be setup.
So tablet could then be free to use wifi for phone tethering
Bluetooth between defi and tablet for data transfer
Bluetooth between tablet and HU for music
Bluetooth between phone and HU for calling

Sound about right for the bluetooth splitting stuff hyrax?
Will look into how to manage splitting it later tonight.

[McDoof]

What tablet/phone combo are you using?

[HyRax]

Sound about right for the bluetooth splitting stuff hyrax?

Yup, because my tablet also connects via Bluetooth to my ODB-II reader for displaying car data in Torque Pro whilst doing everything else at the same time.

[andy_mac]

Looks like apple bluetooth can't be split the way android can without jailbreaking it.

Since the HU plays music from phones connected to it via usb and can be controlled at either end, could I in theory go back to connecting the HU and tablet via usb but only use the data + and data- wires between the two and cut in the power source you listed further up for the power side of it?

Could then have the phone bluetooth connected for call and music but just ignore the music side. Its how i have it now anyway since i have the phone charging most of the time and menu's are alot faster to scroll through with usb rather than bluetooth.

What tablet/phone combo are you using?

Assume you're asking hyrax?

[McDoof]

Assume you're asking hyrax?

Yes. Would like to see what options there are. I tried to get a tablet to work as a headset that way using a stock Nexus 7 and my Galaxy S4 without too much luck so would be interesting to see how that was done.
EDIT: I have just read the post again and that makes more sense having the channels split for Headset and Media to HU. Didn't know you could do that.

[HyRax]

Since the HU plays music from phones connected to it via usb and can be controlled at either end, could I in theory go back to connecting the HU and tablet via usb but only use the data + and data- wires between the two and cut in the power source you listed further up for the power side of it?

Yes, but you'll have a new problem here. When the data lines are in use, the phone/tablet will assume it is connected to a PC and will never pull more than 500ma which is insufficient to charge the battery and stay ahead of consumption of the screen, GPS and other things you'll be doing, and of course the device won't charge while the car is off unless you connected it directly to the car battery which creates problems for starting the car later.

Projects like Timur's ROM get around this by forcing the tablet to consume more energy regardless despite the data lines not being shorted and this means your device will stay charged almost 100% all of the time no matter what you do, but the risk is that you must remember not to connect it to something that cannot provide sufficient amperage to charge it, such as directly to a standard PC USB port, otherwise you risk battery to the device, PC or both.

Could then have the phone bluetooth connected for call and music but just ignore the music side. Its how i have it now anyway since i have the phone charging most of the time and menu's are alot faster to scroll through with usb rather than bluetooth.

Most of the time I just call out to Google Now to make my calls, or Tablet Talk can bring up my phonebook and let me select from there.

Assume you're asking hyrax?

Yes. Would like to see what options there are. I tried to get a tablet to work as a headset that way using a stock Nexus 7 and my Galaxy S4 without too much luck so would be interesting to see how that was done.
EDIT: I have just read the post again and that makes more sense having the channels split for Headset and Media to HU. Didn't know you could do that.

Sorry, I thought you were directing that to andy_mac.

My tablet is a Nexus 2013 32GB/LTE model and my headunit is a Sony MEX-N4050BT unit. My phone is a Samsung Galaxy Note 3. I haven't done an in-car video yet, but you can see my older WIP video here.

But yes, the Bluetooth spec has turned out to be reasonably flexible. The external mic plugged into my Sony headunit feeds calls, however I cannot feed it to the tablet since it's already in use by the phone for calls. This means my voice commands are picked up by the phone first and are only picked up by the tablet if I raise my voice a bit for the tablet's mic behind the dash to pick it up.

Not a huge deal though, since anything I search on the phone becomes part of my Google history (assuming you've opted in for this) and that means it automagically appears on the tablet anyway, eg: search Google on my phone for the address of some place (not necessarily in the Maps app either) and then if I open up Google Navigation on the tablet, the recent history shows that address I searched for as primary preference for what I might want to look up first.

[McDoof]

This info opens up a whole lot of new and easier options Might have to rethink my ideas. Thanks HyRax

[HyRax]

This info opens up a whole lot of new and easier options Might have to rethink my ideas. Thanks HyRax

No worries!

[andy_mac]

Yes, but you'll have a new problem here. When the data lines are in use, the phone/tablet will assume it is connected to a PC and will never pull more than 500ma which is insufficient to charge the battery and stay ahead of consumption of the screen, GPS and other things you'll be doing, and of course the device won't charge while the car is off unless you connected it directly to the car battery which creates problems for starting the car later.

Projects like Timur's ROM get around this by forcing the tablet to consume more energy regardless despite the data lines not being shorted and this means your device will stay charged almost 100% all of the time no matter what you do, but the risk is that you must remember not to connect it to something that cannot provide sufficient amperage to charge it, such as directly to a standard PC USB port, otherwise you risk battery to the device, PC or both.

Damn, well thats a bit of a downer. And you haven't come across any way of changing that without altering the rom?
Without a way of bumping the max current up a nexus 7 really is the only option then.

[HyRax]

Timur's ROM is not just that though. It makes your tablet properly car ready with power management, automatic airplane mode when in standby, etc.

Much of this process automation you can do with tools like Tasker (except the fast charging, but you could hack the kernel yourself to enable this), but Timur's ROM has all the hard work done for you and it's not expensive to buy either, so save yourself time and effort so you can concentrate on the fun stuff.